Three Dreams on Mount Meru [Paperback]

Francois Devenne (Author), Lauren Yoder (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2007

"A man? You? You dream, Bayu, you dream, but all the same, you have not dreamed enough because you haven't made the journey to Mount Meru..."

The sharp words of his fiancée to the young African Muslim, Bayu, push him forward. He becomes impatient to achieve what generations of his ancestors, a clan of sculptors and artists, have done: To make the journey which all men of the clan must make, and to dream three dreams on Mount Meru, before he can take a wife. From a village near Mombassa, in Kenya, he must cross the forests to Mount Meru, in Tanzania, a huge distance across hostile terrain, made harder by his inexperience and innocence. Yet, step by step, the young sculptor throws himself into the adventure, which illuminates a wild universe--the strange beauty of the trees, the ever-present animals who alternately threaten and protect him on this increasingly magical but always dangerous voyage. And throughout, the eyes of the leopard--a figure which Bayu's ancestor held captivated and captive--protect him. Bayu's journey through the forests and mountains entrances us as we are absorbed into his world.François Devenne enchants with this remarkable tale. Eloquently translated by Lauren Yoder.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An African boy's tribal-tradition transition into manhood sends him on a wild, dangerous journey in this slight adventure yarn. In year 1170 of the Islamic calendar, 15-year-old Bayu of the Muslim El-Mudi clan of Mombassa sets off on his mandated journey to Mount Meru in east Africa. Not only Bayu's, but the lives of the individuals and clans he meets along the way are steeped in legend and myth, providing occasional lush passages of fantasy. The action builds slowly during Bayu's first weeks of walking, and the questing hero's meditations are less than riveting ("What I needed to follow wasn't some path other men had made, but rather my own way"). Things pick up about halfway into the novel when Bayu is kidnapped and held hostage by the mysterious King Shina, who is protected by a savage leopard—an animal crucial to the mythology of Bayu's own people. His escape requires luck and all his acquired skills. The writing, however, is flat, so the tribal battles, evil spirits and man-eating crocodiles come off as mildly interesting set pieces. A thin story and imprecise prose make this feel like a stretched novella. (Apr.)
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About the Author

Born in Nantes in 1964, François Devenne wrote his thesis in the geography and agriculture of Kilimanjaro before working for the French Institute of African Research in Nairobi (Kenya). He expects to return to Paris. Three Dreams is his first novel, written during his years in Africa.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Toby Press; 1st. English Language Ed edition (April 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592641733
• ISBN-13: 978-1592641734
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,306,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly written novel of discovery and personal adventure, June 8, 2007

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Dreams on Mount Meru (Paperback)

Bayu is a young African Muslim who, spurred by the sharp words of his fiancee, means to achieve what his ancestors 9a clan of sculptors and artists) have accomplished, namely, to undertake a journey that all the men of his clan must make -- travel to Mount Meru, in Tanzania, and dream three dreams. After which he can return to his village near Mombassa, in Kenya, and take a wife. The journey is a hard one that means crossing the forests to Mount Meru, traveling across hard and hostile terrain. But the journey includes more than hardships and dangers, there are also the strange beauty of the trees, and the eyes of the leopard -- a figure which Bayu's ancestor held captivated and captive, protecting him. A superbly written novel of discovery and personal adventure, Francoise Devenne's "Three Dreams On Mount Meru" is ably, even lyrically, translated into English by Lauren Yoder and highly recommended, rewarding reading from beginning to end.